marked, as he rose to his feet.

The footsteps halted and Helen saw Elijah standing in mute surprise
before the old man. The next instant he had Uncle Sid's outstretched
hand in both his own with crushing grasp.

"Well! well! Uncle Sid! You're looking as natural as life."

Uncle Sid winced.

"I'm feelin' as natural's life too, just this very minute. Cast off,
'Lige! I brought my rheumatiz with me."

Elijah turned to Helen.

"How under the sun did you come to know Uncle Sid?"

"She don't know me. We're just gettin' acquainted."

"Uncle Sid is worth knowing, Helen, I can vouch for that." Elijah
surveyed Uncle Sid with a beaming face. "Where's your sister, Mrs.
MacGregor; why didn't you bring her with you?"

"I did. She'll be down in a minute. Sit down. How do you make it out
here, 'Lige? You used to be great on temperance back East, but I haven't
seen any water worth drinkin' out here."

"There's plenty of water, all right, and good water too. We'll show him,
won't we, Helen?"

"I'll believe that when I see it. Lucky thing the Lord didn't start in
makin' man in this section," growled Uncle Sid, "he wouldn't have had
water enough to have pasted him together with. He'd a had dust enough,
goodness knows. I want a handbellus, to blow off some o' this dust. Just
as sure as I touch water I shan't be nothin' but a mud puddle."

"You can afford to even up, Uncle Sid. You've had more than your share
of water all your life. A little soil won't hurt you now."

"Huh!" Uncle Sid grunted. "I was on top of the water then, an' I kept
there. This dirt gets on top o' me an' inside me an' everywhere it ain't
no business to be. Here's Eunice now. Look here, Eunice, here's an old
friend o' yours, and here's Miss Lonsdale, a new friend o' mine, and I
won't swap either."

A tall woman, deliberate in all her motions, advanced upon the little
party. Her eyes rested for a moment upon Elijah as he rose with extended
hand, then, acknowledging the introduction to Helen, they slipped from
Elijah and glanced slowly over Helen from her boots to the coils of dark
hair that crowned her head. Helen experienced a creeping sensation. The
touch of the deliberate eyes reminded her of the inquisitive fingers of
a jockey feeling for blemishes on the smooth limbs of a horse.

Mrs. MacGregor seated herself with studied elegance.

"It occurs to me, Sidney, that Miss Lonsdale may object to your rather
broad claims to her friendship upon so short a